Advice
by practical release
Summary: A lesson in self from inside a cell.


I know I shouldn't be here

Zuko would whisper to himself as he walked down the oh so familiar dungeon corridors. Of course, it reminded him of the one that leads to his father, but this wing was reserved for someone else. Someone on the exact opposite of the compound. One extensively more guarded than his father. The entire wing dedicated to Azula. Even in her manic state he knew she could still manipulate, scheme and corrupt. He made sure that guards were regularly rotated. Therapist constantly questioned, and above all else; no fire bending. While he believed his father was a tyrant that didn't deserve his bending, his sister was still a part of him and remembered how cold it felt inside to not have it ready at command. No matter how much he hated her, he could never do that, to anyone else.

Yet here he was, walking the oh so familiar dungeon halls for advice. His destiny fulfilled, but reality was oh so harsh. His hopes for peace were met with political intrigue, negotiations and eventual rebellions cropping up. He needed someone who knew the game. Even the great Ozai would leave the delicateness of politics to his daughter. Now he goes to her for council, hoping to decipher her maddened lies for a crumb of useful truth. He needed to rule his people, and he would risk humiliation from her to do it.

He thought he heard whispering from ahead, from her cell; but at his footsteps grew nearer the whispering stopped. His fist balled hard at his sides, mentally preparing for what lies ahead.

For the Fire Nation, for my nation

He continued to tell himself. Anything for them would be worth it.

"its been so long Zu-Zu" he heard a whisper just before the door to her cell. Just hearing her voice made his stomach turn and his palms to sweat. "I have lost track of time. Not being able to see the sun, to see anything, but 4 walls really confuses one's senses" she said in a whisper.

"It's been 2 years" Zuko said…shamefully. He visited his father monthly for advice on how to run a country, the tyrant of the fire nation and never visited his sister once. The product of his father's madness.

"two years…" She said and laughed to herself. "Well come in, I have nothing but time." Breathing in deeply, he opened the door to her cell and there she was. Sitting on the floor in her prison rags. Stale air permeated the room. A roll of bread and a bowl of rice in the corner of the room and a well-manicured hay stack on the other serving as her bed. She smiled up at him, in her oh so familiar smile. Never sincere, always scheming, always Azula. "So why does the honorable Fire Lord visit a disgraced princess. Has fathers 'advice' stopped working?" She said while staring into his eyes. He wanted to lie, to turn away, but her piercing gaze would have none of that. The truth would be the only thing she saw of him, whether he admitted it or not.

"How did you know I visited father!?" The question swirled in his mind, the seed of paranoia slowly planted. Did she have an information network? Just what did she know, or rather, what didn't she know.

"Do not dodge Zu-Zu, I asked you a question. Answer it." She said with the tone of someone above him. His temper began to rise in retaliation. She would dare to him like this, to her Fire lord! But all his bluster, all his rage; never really mattered to her. Given the circumstances she couldn't do any worse than a cell locked away from the world.

With a sigh his brow relaxes, and his head slowly started to hang. "The more I try the more I fail. I feel like no one is listening to me." He said with defeat in his voice. He couldn't even intimidate a prisoner, much less his sister.

"Zuko" She said and stared at him. Her eyes piercing, entrancing him to listen to every word she said. "No one is listening to you because you haven't said anything."

"What do you…" He was quickly hushed by her putting a finger up.

"Even when your strong you're weak Zuko" She said and stood up. Her legs were shaky, and it was now apparent how skinny she was. Questions filled his mind about his sister's health, but even those thoughts were squashed when she walked to face him. Slow steps, loud steps in the silent corridor of the dungeon.

"Sit with me." She said and put her hand on his shoulder. As she slowly began to sit, he unconsciously followed. Had he been so desperate that she could control him like this. No, he simply wanted to hear what his sister had to say and that would be the end of it.

"You haven't done anything as the fire lord." She said, before looking at her unkempt nails.

"Are you listening to me." He shouted, staring at her unflinching form. No doubt he was stronger than her now. No doubt he could crush her if she wanted, but she still looked at him like she was better. Like she will always be better. His anger grew as the room slowly began to warm up from his heat bending. This only made Azula laugh.

"Of course, I am listening dum-dum it's you who aren't listening." She said and looked at the ground. "What have you said that haven't been OK'd by the Avatar. What have you said hasn't been brought over with father first. What have you said that hasn't been in council with uncle fatso. Our people see that." She said and shook her head slowly.

"You are a puppet Zuko and that is why you will fail." She said with finality. Zuko could no longer take her mocking. He stood, hands covered in his fire as he started down at her. She continued to look at the ground.

"I wont fail Azula, no matter how much father or you want me to. I will be the Fire lord that I want to be, and I won't let either of you manipulate me." With that he stormed out of her cell, not looking back. She waited until she heard the outer dungeon doors slam shut before smiling.

_You could have been nicer to him_

She heard a voice say in the corner of the room. Her regal robes covering her Silhouette. "No one asked you mother." Azula said in a hushed tone before staring out of the bars of her cell. No doubt it would be another few years before she would see her brother again, but it didn't matter. Her words reached him.

"Good Luck brother"


End file.
